Five tips for AMC 8 competition help to ensure a better exam result!

It is no secret that the AMC 8 is a difficult math competition. Only a small percentage of participants end up finishing in the top percentile. However, this does not mean that students cannot improve the second time around! If your child was unhappy with their score from a previous AMC exam. This article is here to provide some AMC 8 competition help and advice on how to boost their results! 

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With proven successful test results, Think Academy offers top-notch and comprehensive AMC 8 training resources for the 2021/22 exam prep season.

• Get AMC 8 Prep Resources HERE
• Register “Let Tackle AMC 8“ prep class HERE
• Register AMC 8 Mock Test HERE

What is the AMC 8?

For those who do not know, the American Mathematics Contest 8 (AMC 8) is a math competition designed for students in grade 8 and below. The main purpose of the AMC 8 is to promote the beauty of math and get kids excited about the subject. 

It is also an opportunity for students to show off their math skills and test their critical thinking abilities. In fact, many students who perform well at the AMC 8 end up finding success at the AMC 10, AMC 12, and even AIME. 

The structure of the AMC 8 exam is simple. It consists of 25 multiple choice questions that must be completed within 40 minutes. Potential topics include counting and probability, estimation, proportional reasoning, elementary geometry including the Pythagorean Theorem, spatial visualization, everyday applications, and reading and interpreting graphs and tables. 

Furthermore, some of the later questions may involve linear or quadratic functions and equations, coordinate geometry, and other topics traditionally covered in a beginning algebra course.

Take Mock Tests

One of the best ways to prepare for the AMC 8 is to take as many mock tests as possible! Mock tests are as close to the real deal as you are going to get and will better prepare you for what to expect on exam day. 

In addition, make sure to replicate a testing environment by setting a timer for 40 minutes. Within those 40 minutes, have your child try to solve 25 questions from previous AMC 8 exams. Parents can especially help with this activity by playing the role of the test proctor! 

Improve Number Sense Skills

Number sense skills are incredibly useful for solving problems 1-15 on the AMC 8 exam. Since these questions are usually school math problems that can be solved through two different ways. The technique that is taught in your typical school math class will most likely take longer to get the correct answer. 

Because of this, learning tricks to improve number sense abilities is key! High level number sense skills enable students to be able to solve problems quicker. Remember, participants only have 40 minutes to solve 25 problems. Every minute counts during the AMC 8 exam!

Organize Your Scratch Paper

A successful test performance starts with great organization skills! If a student is taking too much time to locate their work from earlier problems. Their chances of getting through all of the questions within the 40-minute timespan becomes slim. Furthermore, a superb organizational approach will not only improve your score at the AMC 8, but at other future math competitions as well. 

Organizing your sheet of scratch paper during the exam will allow you to go back and review previous problems more efficiently. One way to organize your scratch paper is to divide it into four separate sections. Label each section with a question number and keep your work for that specific question in there. That way, if you need to double check your work from an earlier question, it is easy to find! 

Practice Makes Perfect

Before the exam day, it is very important to make sure that you have no weak spots. Practicing problems from every AMC 8 topic will help ensure that no question is too difficult to solve. For example, if you missed a question from your practice session because you did not understand the concept. Make a note of it and take it upon yourself to learn how to solve that specific problem. 

Around two weeks before the exam, revisit the questions you missed on your practice test. Doing this will further solidify your skills and help you retain the knowledge that you learned regarding these tougher subjects. In addition, write important formulas, problem-solving strategies, and techniques into your notebook. As always, challenge yourself and never give up!

Get a Math Tutor or Register for an AMC 8 Prep Class

Tutors and prep classes are especially helpful with math competition preparation. Instead of having your child spend hours trying to understand a problem. Which will eventually lead to frustration and a decline in motivation. Math tutors and prep classes are able to guide students through the problem solving process step by step and provide them with tools on how to effectively find the solutions to calculations or equations. 

Furthermore, many math tutors and prep class teachers are well versed on the subject of math competitions. Not only do they have years of experience teaching students the keys to success. A lot of them have also taken math competition exams such as the AMC 8 in the past when they themselves were students!

On top of that, tutors and prep classes have access to the best mock tests and practice problems. Overall, either option will help your child study for math competitions such as the AMC 8 in a more efficient and less stressful manner. 

Think Academy’s Classes

For those who are interested, we provide numerous different math courses for children in grades K-8. We have short-term basic math classes that can help improve your child’s fundamental math skills. These courses last only about four weeks. 

In addition, we also have K-8 long-term classes to ensure that students master the math material in their respective grades. These semester-long courses are available in three different levels (Advancement, Mastery, ACE) to account for all learning speeds!

Lastly, for students who want to take their math skills to the next level. Think Academy provides math competition prep classes for events such as the AMC 8 and Math Kangaroo!

You can register for any of our courses by clicking the link here or by downloading our app here.

1-on-1 Evaluation 

As a final note, before you register for our long-term courses. Make sure to sign up for Think Academy’s free 1-on-1 evaluation if you have not already! Our 1-on-1 evaluation contains an overview of our mission and academic structure, a 15-question evaluation exam, a one-hour in-depth analysis, and a 15-minute teacher-to-parent discussion. We will provide you with a customized study plan after the evaluation. This study plan will account for all of your child’s learning needs!